One made a successful career in the Hoops through snarling confrontation, smashing into tackles and showing not a hint of compassion on the park.
The other plays with a smile almost imprinted on his face and has been known to pick up opposition players off the deck .. not to mention rubbish which is strewn round the stadium after the full-time whistle. If ever there was an example that opposites attract then Scott Brown’s admiration for Kyogo Furuhashi is as strong a case as you could imagine.
The Japanese striker might not share the physique of the battle-hardened former Celtic skipper. But Brown is adamant the little striker was the perfect fit for his number eight jersey when he arrived in Scotland two summers ago and just weeks after his 14-year association with the club came to an end. Kyogo’s pace, movement and goalscoring ability has wowed the now Fleetwood manager. But more than anything it’s the Premiership leading goalscorer’s personality which he reckons has lit up the east end of Glasgow and Scottish football in general.
So much so Brown insists he has to be among the leading contenders for the top flight’s player of the season along with the man who succeeded him as captain, Callum McGregor. He said: “Yes, he would be up there.
"Cal would be up there too, there will be a few other people up there, you can see wee Kyogo has got a smile on his face everywhere he goes. He helps people up after he tackles them, he’s picking up litter after games and stuff like that, he’s just a lovely, lovely lad.
"To be perfectly honest, there is no better person that could steal my number from me. It goes from one way to another - I wouldn’t have helped anyone up! But he’s willing to help anybody up which shows you there is no right way and no wrong way to play football and win games.”
Brown was no stranger to player of the year awards in his time at Celtic. Twice he picked up the PFA award and made it a double in 2017-18 with the Football Writer’s gong.
Now, with the freedom to sit back and watch the Hoops as a supporter in between managing Fleetwood, he reckons there are contenders for the honour right through Ange Postecoglou’s side such are the heights the Hoops are reaching in their quest for a Treble.
The engine room he fuelled for 14 years is brilliantly serviced by the energy levels of McGregor and Reo Hatate. And while Brown is loving watching McGregor’s development, he admits his brief spell as an opponent with Aberdeen last season was anything but fun.
He said: “I didn’t enjoy it when I was playing against him that’s for sure - having to chase him! But everyone knew how good a player Callum was, you grow into becoming a captain over the years and he has grown into that really quickly.
“He had to because it’s hard work, especially with a lot of new faces coming into the building. He has to make them welcome and make sure everyone in that dressing room is working together and believes in the manager.
“He has done a fantastic job so far. He seems to be getting better and better as the games go along, his form is improving and his understanding of the game is improving.
“He is one who loves to watch football and I think nowadays there’s a lot of kid watch YouTube clips of players flicking balls over their heads and stuff but Callum is one who likes to study the game and try to understand it as much as he can. You can see that in his performances.
“Hatate has got unbelievable energy. He just keeps going, he’s brilliant on the ball, he drops a shoulder and half the stadium goes with him.
“His willingness to go into a tackle, to get on the ball and make things happen is brilliant. He just keeps going, he’s like a Duracell battery, he just wanted to get better and he seems to be thriving playing alongside Callum.”
Brown was speaking as he promoted an event he and Mikael Lustig will host in Glasgow in May. The night at the OVO Hydro will offer the duo the chance to say a proper farewell to the Hoops supporters after they were robbed of that opportunity by the covid season. It will also raise funds for the Celtic Foundation.
The 37-year-old says it’s important he gets the chance to say hello again .. and a proper goodbye.
Leaving after a season of empty stadiums was difficult for the man who made 619 appearances in the Hoops. He said: “It was hard. I had the opportunity to stay but at the same time I made the decision at the start of that season that one way or another I was going to leave.
“I knew I wanted to be some sort of coach or a manger further down the line. And when I came back, the fans were back in but it would have been disrespectful if I had started waving in an Aberdeen strip in front of all the Celtic fans.
“So it’s a great opportunity for myself and Lusto to say goodbye to the fans because we never really had that. The support they have given to us through thick and thin. It is just nice that we can say that in front of them instead of sending out a message on Instagram or Twitter.”
READ NEXT
